Are You Being Called By Altus GTS, Inc.?*

If you are being threatened and harassed by a debt collector, you don’t have to tolerate it. Even if you owe the debt, you have rights that direct how a collection agency can treat you.. If they cross the line, you can complain to the Federal Trade Commission and even sue the agency.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

Some debt collectors assume that owing money makes you a target of harassment until you pay. According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, it is illegal for a collection agency to use these common tactics when communicating with consumers.

• Failing or refusing to identify themselves as debt collectors
• Calling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers and telling them that you owe a debt
• Demanding amounts that exceed the amount of the original debt
• Using profane and obscene language
• Contacting you at work after you tell them that your boss won’t let you take such calls
• Making legally insupportable threats

Company Profile: Altus GTS, Inc.

If you are being called by Altus GTS, Inc., information about the company is below.

Altus GTS, Inc. is a debt collection company located in East Windsor, New Jersey. It opened for business in 1994, has an estimated 200 employees, and is managed by its President, Thomas E Brenan. The company website states that it has the largest global in-house collections in the world and recovers thousands of dollars for its clients every day. Records digitized at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirms that indebted consumers who believed they were being harassed by Altus GTS, Inc. filed lawsuits to seek damages.

Alleged Violations against Altus GTS, Inc.*

According to PACER, on or around June 4, 2014 Altus GTS, Inc. sent a collection letter to a New York resident, followed by a second one on or around June 12. When he arrived home from a trip, he found both letters simultaneously. The wording of the letters, which stated, in part, “Refusal to honor this debt within 5 days of receipt of this demand can mean appropriate legal action will be taken to protect our client’s interest” let him to believe that he was to be sued in a matter of days. The letters also did not include a license number issued by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.

Feeling harassed by Altus GTS, Inc., he hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Threatening actions that could not legally be taken
• Making demands that violated his dispute rights
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an FDCPA Attorney

The phone numbers for this debt collection agency are as follows:

• 1-609-469-0400
• 1-609-469-0459
• 1-504-469-9545
• 1-800-509-6060

If you see it on your caller ID at any time, you are being called by Altus GTS, Inc. If they send letters that hint at an imminent lawsuit even within the statutory dispute period, hire a consumer attorney who can help you file a claim against Altus GTS, Inc. If you proceed and win your case, you may be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus attorney’s fees and court costs. Don’t be intimidated by an overzealous debt collector when you know you’re in the right.

Additional Resources

• Did a Debt Collector Threaten You With Legal Action?
• Has a Debt Collector Misrepresented Himself?

*Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:14-cv-04880-ARR-VMS from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Altus GTS, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.